Driven by the mission to connect more children to vital diagnoses and early intervention programs, California-based software-as-a-medical device and behavioral health company Cognoa developed an app exclusively available as an employee benefit in several leading companies across the country. Cognoa’s digital diagnostic and therapeutic products are being developed to reduce the time gap that occurs between a child's positive screening result and entering specialist or early intervention services.
While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends autism screening for children between 18 months and two years of age, in most cases, post-screening action is either not taken or delayed. After reviewing the medical records of more than 13,000 children, researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas discovered that though the majority of children were screened using the tool Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT), only about 40 percent of children flagged by M-CAT received specialist care.
The findings show that although pediatricians are following AAP standards for screening, follow-up with early intervention services is lacking. Researchers believe the disparity may be the result of a lack of awareness among parents or the prevalence of a wait-and-see approach among pediatricians. Earlier diagnosis and intervention can lead to vastly improved lifelong outcomes for children.
